The Staatliche Hofkeller in Würzburg is the oldest winery in all of Germany. Its beginnings can be traced back to an endowment by the bishop of Würzburg in 1128. Before secularization the winery was owned by the ruling Prince Bishop and named “Fürstbischöflicher Hofkeller”. After secularization during Napoleonic times Würzburg became part of the Kingdom of Bavaria and the winery’s new owner was the ruling Bavarian king. Hence the winery was renamed “Königlich Bayerischer Hofkeller”. When the monarchy was abolished in 1918 after WW I the winery became property of the newly created State of Bavaria and renamed “Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg”.
The new General Manager of the Staatliche Hofkeller Marcel von den Benken was our host. He took us on a tour of the impressive wine cellar and led a tasting of the world class wines.
Würzburg in Franken boasts 3 legendary wineries, Juliuspital, Bürgerspital and Staatlicher Hofkeller, with a long and most interesting history. They are also rather large (by German standards). Two of the three, Juliusspital and Bürgerspital, also house iconic wine taverns. While the third, Staatlicher Hofkeller, also has a wine tavern, but it lacks the specialness that the other two display.
See:
Schiller’s Favorites: 2 Legendary Wine Taverns in Würzburg – Juliusspital and Bürgerspital
Schiller’s Favorite Wine Taverns in Würzburg, Franken, Germany
Tour and Tasting at the Historic Weingut Juliusspital in Würzburg, Franken – Germany-North Wine Tour by ombiasy (2014)
Würzburg
This city of 130,000, nestled among vineyards along the river banks, is arguably the finest of Germany's Baroque and Rococo towns. Its history dates from the 8th century, when Frankish dukes, converted to Christianity by Irish missionary monks, laid the foundations of massive Marienberg Fortress on the crest of the highest of Würzburg's many terraced and vine-covered hills. One of the oldest churches in the country, the Marienkirche, consecrated in 706, still stands in that castle's courtyard.
From the Middle Ages until 1802, when Napoleon reshaped the map of Europe, imposed secularization and ceded the city to the newly created Kingdom of Bavaria, Würzburg was a rich, influential and virtually independent prince-bishopric whose rulers enjoyed both ecclesiastical and worldly powers. Most important though, nearly all those prince-bishops were connoisseurs and patrons of the arts. Their sponsorship and commissions attracted great artists and architects, who made the city the major cultural center that it is today.
Thus it was Würzburg where the painter Matthias Grünewald was born and did some of his earliest work as an apprentice to local masters. In 1483, during the reign of Prince-Bishop Rudolf von Scherenberg, Tilman Riemenschneider, the greatest of the Renaissance woodcarvers and sculptors, settled and established his studio in Würzburg, ultimately becoming the city's burgomaster. His work is omnipresent in Würzburg churches and in those of nearby towns and villages.
Two other prince-bishops hired Balthasar Neumann, Germany's preeminent Baroque architect, to build the Residenz, their diocesal palace, and commissioned Venetian artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo to decorate it with Rococo ceiling and wall frescoes.
To be sure, a great deal of what you see in Würzburg today is not what you think it is or what it purports to be, for much of what looks old is relatively new. Most of the city's architectural heritage was destroyed in a single World War II air raid in March 1945. But visitors today will hardly notice, for many beautiful churches, graceful bridges, ornate patrician houses and splendid hospices were rebuilt.
The Würzburg Residenz
Würzburg's most dazzling piece of architecture, and the one for which it is on UNESCO's list, is the Residenz, the palace of the prince-bishops, one of the largest and most richly decorated chateaus in all Europe. Its sponsor was Johann Philip von Schönborn, who was elected prince-bishop in 1719. The Residenz’ mind-boggling centerpiece is the grand staircase, capped by Tiepolo's 7,000-square-foot ceiling fresco. The vaulted ceiling is more than 17 feet high and is entirely unsupported by pillars.
Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg
Once you have traversed the rooms and parlors of the Residenz, be certain to visit the Staatliche Hofkellerei Würzburg. The extensive and labyrinthine wine cellars stretch out deep below the building.
The Staatliche Hofkeller Würzburg is one of Germany’s largest wine estates. Founded in 1128, it is also one of the oldest. Initially, it was owned by the Prince-Bishops of Würzburg. From 1814 onwards, after the Vienna Congress, the Kingdom of Bavaria was the owner under the name Königlich Bayerischer Hofkeller (royal Bavarian state cellar), with an interlude from 1806 to 1814, when it was owned by Grand Duke Ferdinand of Tuscany.
After the revolution of 1918, the Kingdom of Bavaria became part of the Weimar Republic as the State of Bavaria and the State of Bavaria took over the Staatliche Hofkellerei Würzburg as the successor of the Kingdom of Bavaria.
This is a very unique winery- since its beginnings 900 years ago it has never been sold; it has always been owned by the current sovereign in uninterrupted succession. The winery is right next to the Würzburg Residence and the cellars are under the north and south wings of the Residence. The cellars are vast with a surface area of 4,500 square meters and a length of 900 meters. The vineyard area totals 120 hectares. These holdings are spread over many communes.
In terms of sales, the Staatliche Hofkeller is pretty much based on private, German consumers. Accouting for less than 1%, exports are negligable. Practically all of the 80.000 cases produced annually are sold and consumed in Germany.
Tasting
We enjoyed an extraordinary tasting of impressive wines, led by General Manager Marcel von den Benken.
2015 Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg Silvaner trocken Gutswein
2015 Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg Riesling trocken Gutswein
2015 Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg Hörsteiner Müller-Thurgau trocken Ortswein
2015 Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg Würzburger Müller-Thurgau trocken Ortswein
2014 Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg Hörsteiner Abtsberg Silvaner trocken Erste Lage
2015 Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg Abtswinder Altenberg Silvaner trocken Erste Lage
2015 Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg Randersacker Teufelskeller Silvaner trocken Erste Lage
2015 Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg Iphöfer Julius-Echter-Berg Silvaner trocken Erste Lage
2014 Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg Innere Leiste Riesling trocken Erste Lage
2014 Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg Würzburger Stein Silvaner trocken Erste Lage
2014 Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg Randersacker Pfülben Riesling GG Grosse Lage
2008 Staatlicher Hofkeller Würzburg Innere Leiste Silvaner trocken Erste Lage
Bye-bye
Thanks Marcel for a great tour and tasting.
Postings: Germany-East Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture and History (Published and Forthcoming Postings)
Germany-East Tour 2016 by ombiasy WineTours: Wine, Art, Culture and History
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